Mocha, smoky tea and dried fruit on the nose, and superripe, thick and rich fruit, verging on raisins.
Full-bodied, with soft, silky tannins,

Great juicy, pruny finish.

Rated 90

Wanted MORE!!!

Is this the wine in the funny looking bottle that looks like it is melting?

Seek,

Yes, it's the one in the awkward-to-cellar square-based bottle. More TNs are in a thread further down the page. Definitely a wine that I enjoyed.

Real dumb size and style. Have to keep these on the floor under the rack.

I've seen plenty of the '98 on local shelves for about $22. Has anybody tried it yet?

Medium garnet colour with orange tinges to a pink/orange rim. Aromas of dried roses, violets, cherry, plums, earth, currant, and leather. Medium bodied, juicy, with strawberries, plums, cherry, orange rind, and currant. Tannins are integrated nicely. Moderate finish, ~30s with red fruit, orange rind. Drinking well now, but will hold another couple of years. 90 points (12/30/2004).

I found this wine disappointing. It's just not my style. I think I have one left. You want it, futronic?

It'll probably be over the hill by the time we finally get together for an offline!

Actually, I'm trying to talk my wife into a Memorial Day weekend trip to the Niagara wine country. I want to check on the swill again.

Why do you keep subjecting yourself to such suffering?

Us Toronto-area folk would be happy to have an offline if you want to make the short drive. Keep me in the loop with respect to your plans.

Sure will

I've enjoyed this wine for a few years now. I bought perhaps 1/2 case (more or less) for about $17-19 a bottle and felt the QPR to be outstanding. I've never done tasting notes for this wine but feel that Edwards first notes are pretty spot on. I've always thought this wine drank quite well (for the price) and though not a Barolo or such clearly showed its Nebbilo character (one of my fave grapes). That being said - I had one in November and felt it was clearly past its prime. It had lost much fruit and seemed overly jammy dominated by raisen/plum overtures 9present before but less obviously dominant). I have one bottle left and will likely drink it soon. And yeah - I too keep these on the floor under my racks. I should also note that I have a passive cellar that approaches 70 deg on some hot summer days - though is ussually about 65-66...this could account for some premature aging I imagine.

Decanted 2 hours. Medium-garnet colour to pink/orange rim. Aromas of orange rind, dried flowers, cherries, earth, hint of tar. Medium-bodied with red fruit, orange rind. Fully integrated tannins. Short-moderate finish, 20-25s, with bing cherry, orange rind. Definitely on the downward slope. Drink ASAP. 87 points (04/02/2005).

opened this last nite as well. agreed fut, it is on the downward slope, and disappointingly so i might add. this lacked the freshness of my previous bottles, and the finish was marred by a slightly harsh aftertaste that didn't leave the palate. i've got two left and will drink this year.

1997 Giancarlo Travaglini Gattinara -- clear medium-ruby, looks like older Bordeaux; nice nose of plum, violet; quite silky, plum, cherry flavours, hints of tar, sort of Barolo Lite with unmistakeable suggestion of Barolo; fairly long finish with just a touch of drying tannins kicking in at the very end. Agree with others that it's time to drink these up, but no desparately immediate hurry. Around 88-89 pts. Better than anticipated given recent reports here.

Had another bottle of this last night. About the same as the one last week, maybe even a touch better. Nothing seems to indicate that this wine is already in decline (though I'm prepared to be cautious about when to drink my last couple of bottles ).

are we looking at a case of bottle variability here? i had one of my friends' bottles and it seemed much fresher than my bottle. i've got two left, i may wait another 6-12 mo. then try again.

This wine was one I occasionaly would give out as a gift - due to the unusual/distinctive bottle and to turn people onto the great nebbilio grape. Alas it is now off my list - my recent experiences with the wine suggest that it is not what it was (and besides i still think I only have one left...though they do seem to keep popping up) - its really to the point where i'm not looking foreward to drinking it...